Top Science News

January 23, 2026

Top Headlines

Ancient Giant Kangaroos Could Hop After All

Jan. 23, 2026 Giant kangaroos that lived during the Ice Age may not have been as slow and grounded as once believed. A new study finds their leg bones and tendons were likely strong enough to support hopping, despite their massive size. Rather than traveling this ...

Chemotherapy Rewires Gut Bacteria to Block Metastasis

Jan. 23, 2026 Chemotherapy’s gut damage turns out to have a surprising upside. By changing nutrient availability in the intestine, it alters gut bacteria and increases levels of a microbial molecule that travels to the bone marrow. This signal reshapes immune ...

This One Gene May Explain Most Alzheimer’s Cases

Jan. 23, 2026 Alzheimer’s may be driven far more by genetics than previously thought, with one gene playing an outsized role. Researchers found that up to nine in ten cases could be linked to the APOE gene — even including a common version once considered ...

The Bottled Water Everyone Trusts May Be the Riskiest

Jan. 23, 2026 In Guatemala’s Western Highlands, researchers found that the drinking water people trust most may actually be the riskiest. Bottled water from refillable jugs—seen as the safest choice—was frequently contaminated with harmful bacteria, while ...

A Brain Glitch May Explain Why Some People Hear Voices

Jan. 23, 2026 New research suggests that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may come from a brain glitch that confuses inner thoughts for external voices. Normally, the brain predicts the sound of its own inner speech and tones down its response. But in ...

This 2.6-million-year-old Jawbone Changes the Human Story

Jan. 23, 2026 A rare fossil discovery in Ethiopia has pushed the known range of Paranthropus hundreds of miles farther north than ever before. The 2.6-million-year-old jaw suggests this ancient relative of humans was surprisingly adaptable, not a narrow ...

Rare Rocks Beneath Australia Reveal the Origins of a Critical Metal

Jan. 23, 2026 Rare rocks buried deep in central Australia have revealed how a valuable niobium deposit formed during the breakup of an ancient supercontinent. More than 800 million years ago, tectonic rifting opened pathways that allowed metal-rich magma to rise ...

Europa’s Ice May Be Feeding a Hidden Ocean That Could Support Life

Jan. 23, 2026 Europa’s subsurface ocean might be getting fed after all. Scientists found that salty, nutrient-rich surface ice can become heavy enough to break free and sink through Europa’s icy shell, delivering essential ingredients to the ocean below. The ...

Scientists Just Overturned a 100-year-old Rule of Chemistry, and the Results Are “Impossible”

Jan. 23, 2026 Chemists at UCLA are showing that some of organic chemistry’s most famous “rules” aren’t as unbreakable as once thought. By creating bizarre, cage-shaped molecules with warped double ...

This Simple Fix Makes Blockchain Almost Twice as Fast

Jan. 23, 2026 Blockchain could make smart devices far more secure, but sluggish data sharing has held it back. Researchers found that messy network connections cause massive slowdowns by flooding systems with duplicate data. Their new “Dual Perigee” method ...

Scientists Ranked Monogamy Across Mammals and Humans Stand Out

Jan. 22, 2026 A new study suggests humans belong in an elite “league of monogamy,” ranking closer to beavers and meerkats than to chimpanzees. By comparing full and half siblings across species and human cultures, researchers found that long-term pair bonding ...

This New Antibody May Stop One of the Deadliest Breast Cancers

Jan. 22, 2026 Researchers have identified a promising new weapon against triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. An experimental antibody targets a protein that fuels tumor growth and shuts down immune defenses, effectively ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:22pm EST

The Genetic Advantage That Helps Some People Stay Sharp for Life

Jan. 22, 2026 A new study reveals that super agers over 80 have a distinct genetic edge. They are much less likely to carry the gene most associated with Alzheimer’s risk, even when compared with other healthy ...

Why Some People Get Bad Colds and Others Don’t

Jan. 22, 2026 Scientists found that nasal cells act as a first line of defense against the common cold, working together to block rhinovirus soon after infection. A fast antiviral response can stop the virus ...

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Retires After 608 Days in Space and Nine Spacewalks

Jan. 22, 2026 NASA astronaut Suni Williams has retired after 27 years of service and a career defined by endurance, leadership, and firsts in space. She spent 608 ...

Physicists Challenge a 200-Year-Old Law of Thermodynamics at the Atomic Scale

Jan. 22, 2026 A long-standing law of thermodynamics turns out to have a loophole at the smallest scales. Researchers have shown that quantum engines made of ...

After 11 Years of Research, Scientists Unlock a New Weakness in Deadly Fungi

Jan. 22, 2026 Fungal infections are becoming deadlier as drug resistance spreads and treatment options stall. Researchers at McMaster University discovered that a ...

Researchers Unlocked a New Shortcut to Quantum Materials

Jan. 22, 2026 Scientists are learning how to temporarily reshape materials by nudging their internal quantum rhythms instead of blasting them with extreme lasers. By harnessing excitons, short-lived energy pairs ...

A Tiny Spin Change Just Flipped a Famous Quantum Effect

Jan. 21, 2026 When quantum spins interact, they can produce collective behaviors that defy long-standing expectations. Researchers have now shown that the Kondo effect behaves very differently depending on spin ...

The Hidden Microbes That Decide How Sourdough Tastes

Jan. 21, 2026 The microbes living in sourdough starters don’t just appear by chance—they’re shaped by what bakers feed them. New research shows that while the same hardy yeast tends to dominate sourdough ...

Scientists Are Building Viruses from Scratch to Fight Superbugs

Jan. 21, 2026 Researchers from New England Biolabs (NEB®) and Yale University describe the first fully synthetic bacteriophage engineering system for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium ...

Life’s Chemistry May Begin in the Cold Darkness of Space

Jan. 21, 2026 New experiments reveal that protein precursors can form naturally in deep space under extreme cold and radiation. Scientists found that simple amino acids bond into peptides on interstellar dust, ...

Spacecraft Captures the "magnetic Avalanche" That Triggers Giant Solar Explosions

Jan. 21, 2026 Solar Orbiter has captured the clearest evidence yet that a solar flare grows through a cascading “magnetic avalanche.” Small, weak magnetic disturbances rapidly multiplied, triggering stronger ...

New Research Shows Emotional Expressions Work Differently in Autism

Jan. 19, 2026 Researchers found that autistic and non-autistic people move their faces differently when expressing emotions like anger, happiness, and sadness. Autistic participants tended to rely on different ...

Cannabis Was Touted for Nerve Pain. The Evidence Falls Short

Jan. 19, 2026 Cannabis-based medicines have been widely promoted as a potential answer for people living with chronic nerve pain—but a major new review finds the evidence just isn’t there yet. After analyzing ...

NASA’s Artemis II Reaches the Launch Pad and the Countdown to the Moon Begins

Jan. 19, 2026 NASA’s Artemis II rocket has reached its launch pad after a painstaking overnight crawl across Kennedy Space Center. Engineers are now preparing for crucial fueling and countdown tests ahead of the ...

How the Frog Meat Trade Helped Spread a Deadly Fungus Worldwide

Jan. 19, 2026 A deadly fungus that has wiped out hundreds of amphibian species worldwide may have started its global journey in Brazil. Genetic evidence and trade data suggest the fungus hitchhiked across the ...

Major Review Finds No Autism or ADHD Risk from Pregnancy Tylenol

Jan. 19, 2026 A major new scientific review brings reassuring news for expectant parents: using acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, during pregnancy does not increase a child’s risk of autism, ADHD, or ...

Walking Sharks Break the Rules of Reproduction

Jan. 21, 2026 Epaulette sharks can reproduce without any measurable increase in energy use, stunning researchers who expected egg-laying to be costly. Scientists tracked metabolism, blood, and hormone levels ...

The Ring Nebula Is Hiding a Giant Structure Made of Iron

Jan. 18, 2026 A huge bar of iron has been discovered lurking inside the iconic Ring Nebula. The structure is enormous, spanning hundreds of times the size of Pluto’s orbit and containing a Mars-sized amount of ...

Tiny Earthquakes Are Revealing a Dangerous Secret Beneath California

Jan. 17, 2026 Scientists are uncovering a hidden and surprisingly complex earthquake zone beneath Northern California by tracking swarms of tiny earthquakes that are far too weak to feel. These faint tremors are ...

NASA Brings Crew-11 Home Early in Rare Medical Evacuation

Jan. 16, 2026 SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down safely in the Pacific after more than five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station. The four astronauts completed over 140 experiments and traveled nearly ...

Forest Loss Is Driving Mosquitoes’ Thirst for Human Blood

Jan. 15, 2026 In the rapidly disappearing Atlantic Forest, mosquitoes are adapting to a human-dominated landscape. Scientists found that many species now prefer feeding on people rather than the forest’s diverse ...

Scientists Found Hidden Synapse Hotspots in the Teen Brain

Jan. 16, 2026 Scientists have discovered that the adolescent brain does more than prune old connections. During the teen years, it actively builds dense new clusters of synapses in specific parts of neurons. These ...

An Endocrinologist Tried a New Weight Loss Approach and It Worked

Jan. 17, 2026 A simple change in how primary care clinics approach weight management is delivering big public health wins. PATHWEIGH lets patients openly request help and gives doctors the tools to focus entire ...

Scientists Are Rethinking Bamboo as a Powerful New Superfood

Jan. 16, 2026 Bamboo shoots may be far more than a crunchy side dish. A comprehensive review found they can help control blood sugar, support heart and gut health, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. ...

A Deadly Chemical Frozen in Ice May Have Sparked Life on Earth

Jan. 16, 2026 Hydrogen cyanide, a toxic chemical, may have helped spark the chemistry that led to life. When frozen, it forms crystals with highly reactive surfaces that can drive unusual chemical reactions, even ...

Those Strange Red Dots in James Webb Images Finally Have an Explanation

Jan. 16, 2026 For years, strange red dots in James Webb images left scientists puzzled. New research shows they are young black holes hidden inside dense clouds of gas, glowing as they devour their surroundings. ...

Electrons Stop Acting Like Particles—and Physics Still Works

Jan. 15, 2026 Physicists have long relied on the idea that electrons behave like tiny particles zipping through materials, even though quantum physics says their exact position is fundamentally uncertain. Now, ...

This After-Meal Blood Sugar Spike May Raise Alzheimer’s Risk

Jan. 15, 2026 Spikes in blood sugar after eating may be more dangerous for the brain than previously thought. In a massive genetic study, people with higher post-meal blood sugar had a much greater risk of ...

This Sweet Fruit Is Packed With Hidden Health Compounds

Jan. 14, 2026 Scientists are taking a closer look at monk fruit and discovering it’s more than just a sugar substitute. New research shows its peel and pulp contain a rich mix of antioxidants and bioactive ...

How Everyday Foam Reveals the Secret Logic of Artificial Intelligence

Jan. 15, 2026 Foams were once thought to behave like glass, with bubbles frozen in place at the microscopic level. But new simulations reveal that foam bubbles are always shifting, even while the foam keeps its ...